Court nullify timelines of Inec timetable for 2027 election - wetin e mean for political stakeholders
Wia dis foto come from, Inec Nigeria/X
One judgement by Justice Mohammed Garba of di Federal High Court Abuja, don nullify plenty provisions for di timetable wey di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) bin release for di 2027 general elections for Nigeria.
Na on Thursday, 21 May, 2026, tori pipo get certified true copy of di judgement but na on Wednesday, 20 May di judge deliver am, afta one political party - Youth Party - carry di mata go court.
Youth Party argue say Inec bin do too much pass wetin di Electoral Act 2026 authorise dem to do, by fixing some kain deadlines wey dem say parties gatz obey ahead of di elections.
Di matas for contention
For di matas for court, di Youth Party - wey be one of di registered political parties for Nigeria - accuse Inec of di following:
- Based on sections 29, 82 and 84(1) of di Electoral Act 2026, Inec get power to receive notice of party primaries and di personal particulars of di candidates. Dem also get power to attend, observe and monitor such primaries. But dem no get power to fix or prescribe di timetable wen political parties gatz conduct dia primaries
- Based on section 29(1) of di Electoral Act, political parties dey required to submit personal particulars of dia candidates to Inec not later dan 120 days to an election, so Inec no get power to prescribe a shorter timeframe for dia 2027 election timetable
- Based on section 31 of di Electoral Act, political parties get chance to withdraw and substitute candidates not later dan 90 days to di day of election, so Inec no get power to fix deadline for withdrawal or replacement of candidates, earlier dan wetin di Electoral Act provide
- Based on section 32 of di Electoral Act, Inec no get power to publish di list of final candidates for di 2027 general elections bifor di 60 days minimum period wey di law tok
- Based on section 98 of di Electoral Act, Inec no get power to tok for dia election timetable say campaigns gatz end two days bifor di elections
Sake of dis errors wey Inec allegedly commit, di Youth Party ask di court to nullify di timeframes wey Inec bin impose for dia revised 2027 general elections timetable, especially di ones wey concern di conduct of primaries by political parties, di submission of personal particulars of candidates by dia parties, di withdrawal and replacement of candidates, di publication of final list of candidates and di period of campaign for di elections.
Di lawyers for di mata na J.O Olotu wey represent Youth Party and Sarafa Yusuf for Inec.
Justice Umar wey be di trial judge agree wit all di submissions wey Youth Party present for court, and e give order say Inec no fit put for di 2027 elections timetable wetin di Electoral Act no give dem power to put.
Therefore, di judge go ahead to nullify di timeframes wey Inec put for di timetable wey concern di issues in contention.
Inec neva tok anytin about dis latest development.
Wetin dis judgement mean
E neva clear weda Inec go appeal dis judgement, but as e be now, e mean say chance fit still dey for pipo wey no dey happy wit dia party to comot enta anoda one.
For dia revised timetable for di 2027 general elections, Inec bin fix deadline say evri party gatz submit dia membership register on or bifor 10 May, 2026.
"Di register of party members gatz dey submitted to Inec not later dan 21 days bifor di holding of dia respective primaries," di electoral bodi bin tok for one of dia statements.
And di timeframe wey Inec bin fix for parties to hold dia primary elections na betwin April 23 and May 30, 2026.
But dis court judgement tok say: "Di timeframe prescribed by di defendant (Inec) for submission of membership registers for di conduct of primary elections, no dey applicable to primary elections conducted for di purpose of replacing candidates wey withdraw".
Di judgement fit also mean say:
- Inec no go fit publish final list of candidates until at least 60 days to di election
- Political parties get until 90 days to di election date to either withdraw or replace dia candidates
- Parties also get until 120 days to di election day to submit di personal particulars of dia candidates to Inec
Reacting to di judgement, di African Democratic Congress (ADC) wey be di joinbodi opposition movement for Nigeria, tok say many members of di ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) go comot from dia party.
Bolaji Abdullahi wey be di ADC tok-tok pesin tok say dem bin don raise complain wit di election timetable wey Inec bin release, but e sweet dem now wey court don make ogbonge pronouncement on top am.
"Di decision of di court na welcome vindication of our position," oga Abdulahhi tok.
E add: "We believe say dat particular restriction bin dey designed to prevent pipo make dem no leave di ruling party, APC.
"Now wey di court don rule against am, we sure say, for di coming days, we go witness mass exodus from di ruling party."
Di APC also neva make any official statement about dis judgement.
Who be Youth Party wey carry dis mata go court?
Wia dis foto come from, Inec
Youth Party na one of di registered political parties for Nigeria but plenti pipo no even know say dem dey exist.
Dem describe diasef for dia website as party "wey dey made up of individuals and groups wey dey seek to serve and unite Nigerians".
"Our goal na to develop and improve di standard of living of all Nigerians," di party tok for dia 'About Us' page for dia website.
Inec bin first register di party official for August of 2018 just ahead of di 2019 general elections,
However, afta di elections, for 2020 Inec deregister Youth Party plus more dan 70 oda parties wey dem tok say dem no longer meet di criteria wey include say dem no win at least 25 percent of votes for any state during presidential election or 25 percent of votes for any local govment area.
Inec also say di parties no win at least one ward for any local govment chairmanship election, or one seat for di national or state assembly election or even one seat for councillorship election.
But di Youth Party carry di mata go court to ask Inec to reverse dia deregistration. Dem win for di High Court but Inec carry di mata to di Court of Appeal and win. Youth Party den carry di mata to Supreme Court wia dem also get judgement in dia favour.
Las las, for July 2023, Inec announce say dem don recognise di Youth Party again as registered political party for Nigeria.
For di Inec website, di names of di acting National Chairman of Youth Party na Dr. Umar Muhammed while dia acting National Secretary na Mrs Helen Adoh.
